Method of Reasoning
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LSAT Logical Reasoning › Method of Reasoning
Executive: The new software has outperformed its predecessor in first month sales. The upgrade to the interface is the most obvious change between the two versions. All software should now be outfitted with the same interface.
The best description of the executive’s reasoning is that __________.
a preceding event is necessarily a cause of a following action
a massive change in circumstances must have many causes
the cause of a new event is never easily deduced at first
a singular event has no obvious consequences
the direct effect of any action is not repeatable
Explanation
The executive's reasoning is extremely straightforward and, in fact, rather crude. This does not make it easy to describe, however, and it is important to note that the executive directly links the new interface to the program's success in a large way. This indicates the executive sees the preceding event of the interface change as causing the software's success.
Executive: The new software has outperformed its predecessor in first month sales. The upgrade to the interface is the most obvious change between the two versions. All software should now be outfitted with the same interface.
The best description of the executive’s reasoning is that __________.
a preceding event is necessarily a cause of a following action
a massive change in circumstances must have many causes
the cause of a new event is never easily deduced at first
a singular event has no obvious consequences
the direct effect of any action is not repeatable
Explanation
The executive's reasoning is extremely straightforward and, in fact, rather crude. This does not make it easy to describe, however, and it is important to note that the executive directly links the new interface to the program's success in a large way. This indicates the executive sees the preceding event of the interface change as causing the software's success.
Joey: We do not need to drink more water. We would only need to drink more water if we were dehydrated.
John: The fact that we are dehydrated is exactly why we need to drink more water.
John's response to Joey functions to:
Deny an implicit premise of Joey's argument in order to arrive at a different conclusion.
Contradict Joey's conclusion without giving any reason to reject his assumptions.
Imply that Joey's argument is invalid by accepting its premise but rejecting its conclusion.
Remaining ambivalent about Joey's conclusion while agreeing with his basic premise.
Proving Joey's example wrong with a counterexample.
Explanation
John does not accept Joey's implicit premise/assumption, which is that they are not dehydrated. He then concludes, on the basis that Joey's premise of not being dehydratd is false, that in fact their dehydration means they should drink water.
Joey: We do not need to drink more water. We would only need to drink more water if we were dehydrated.
John: The fact that we are dehydrated is exactly why we need to drink more water.
John's response to Joey functions to:
Deny an implicit premise of Joey's argument in order to arrive at a different conclusion.
Contradict Joey's conclusion without giving any reason to reject his assumptions.
Imply that Joey's argument is invalid by accepting its premise but rejecting its conclusion.
Remaining ambivalent about Joey's conclusion while agreeing with his basic premise.
Proving Joey's example wrong with a counterexample.
Explanation
John does not accept Joey's implicit premise/assumption, which is that they are not dehydrated. He then concludes, on the basis that Joey's premise of not being dehydratd is false, that in fact their dehydration means they should drink water.
The spread of viral diseases like Ebola is not just a medical problem, but an infrastructure problem. Building more roads and better sewage systems will allow a much easier path to fighting the disease for aid workers and medical professionals. Once the sick and dying can be more readily reached, the disease will be much more easily combatted.
The method of reasoning in this passage is best described as __________.
viewing a single action as the solution to a problem.
seeing a problem as multidimensional and fluid.
creating a larger issue than the one being addressed.
assuming an event will automatically create another event.
working through all possibilities to find a solution.
Explanation
The passage proposes that the serious problem of a terrible disease can be easily solved by the panacea of better infrastructure, which is then asserted to be easy to place in the countries fighting Ebola. One can articulate the passage's method of reasoning in saying that the passage views the solution to a problem as being found in a single action.
The spread of viral diseases like Ebola is not just a medical problem, but an infrastructure problem. Building more roads and better sewage systems will allow a much easier path to fighting the disease for aid workers and medical professionals. Once the sick and dying can be more readily reached, the disease will be much more easily combatted.
The method of reasoning in this passage is best described as __________.
viewing a single action as the solution to a problem.
seeing a problem as multidimensional and fluid.
creating a larger issue than the one being addressed.
assuming an event will automatically create another event.
working through all possibilities to find a solution.
Explanation
The passage proposes that the serious problem of a terrible disease can be easily solved by the panacea of better infrastructure, which is then asserted to be easy to place in the countries fighting Ebola. One can articulate the passage's method of reasoning in saying that the passage views the solution to a problem as being found in a single action.
James: Public schools should require students to wear uniforms. Studies have shown that both violence and bullying can be curtailed if such measures are taken.
Violet: I don't agree. Those same studies show that in schools where uniforms are required, there was still an average of 11.6 reported episodes of gang-related incidents and 8.4 reported bullying incidents per month. With those kinds of numbers, uniforms are clearly not worth the loss of student self-expression.
Violet responds to James' argument in which one of the following ways?
She disputes one of James' premises and argues that its refutation justifies disregarding James' conclusion.
She notes an inherent ambiguity in the word "violence" and argues that such a term cannot be effectively quantified.
She cites statistics showing that uniforms actually increase, rather than decrease, gang-related violence and bullying in schools that require uniforms.
She challenges James' conclusion by noting that the value of self-expression is such that it outweighs most concerns regarding violence against the individual.
She criticizes a flaw in James' reasoning and shows how his premises, even when taken at face value, fail to justify his conclusion.
Explanation
Violet's primary disagreement with James is with his idea that "both violence and bullying can be curtailed" if uniforms are required at schools. She cites statistics showing that they will not be curtailed, thus disputing his premise. With that premise disregarded, she argues that his conclusion does not follow in light of the loss of student self-expression that wearing uniforms entails. The remaining answer choices do not correctly characterize Violet's response.
James: Public schools should require students to wear uniforms. Studies have shown that both violence and bullying can be curtailed if such measures are taken.
Violet: I don't agree. Those same studies show that in schools where uniforms are required, there was still an average of 11.6 reported episodes of gang-related incidents and 8.4 reported bullying incidents per month. With those kinds of numbers, uniforms are clearly not worth the loss of student self-expression.
Violet responds to James' argument in which one of the following ways?
She disputes one of James' premises and argues that its refutation justifies disregarding James' conclusion.
She notes an inherent ambiguity in the word "violence" and argues that such a term cannot be effectively quantified.
She cites statistics showing that uniforms actually increase, rather than decrease, gang-related violence and bullying in schools that require uniforms.
She challenges James' conclusion by noting that the value of self-expression is such that it outweighs most concerns regarding violence against the individual.
She criticizes a flaw in James' reasoning and shows how his premises, even when taken at face value, fail to justify his conclusion.
Explanation
Violet's primary disagreement with James is with his idea that "both violence and bullying can be curtailed" if uniforms are required at schools. She cites statistics showing that they will not be curtailed, thus disputing his premise. With that premise disregarded, she argues that his conclusion does not follow in light of the loss of student self-expression that wearing uniforms entails. The remaining answer choices do not correctly characterize Violet's response.
Publisher: It is usually not a good idea for a first-time author to begin with a novel which the author intends to become part of a series. Most series novels are not published, but publishing companies are more likely to make series deals with authors who have previously published at least one stand-alone novel. If the stand-alone novel is a success, it is a good possibility that a subsequent series by that author will also be successful.
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the publisher’s argument by the statement that most series novels are not published?
It is a claim that is used to introduce another claim which supports the argument’s main conclusion.
It is one of the argument’s conclusions, but not its main conclusion.
It is an unsupported statement which serves only to weaken the argument.
It is the argument’s only conclusion.
It identifies a condition which, if not met, is fatal to the argument’s main conclusion.
Explanation
While not vital to the argument, the claim that most series novels are not published is used to lead to the argument’s main premise, which is that publishing a stand-alone novel gives authors a better chance of later publishing a series. The statement does not weaken the argument, but rather puts it in context.
Publisher: It is usually not a good idea for a first-time author to begin with a novel which the author intends to become part of a series. Most series novels are not published, but publishing companies are more likely to make series deals with authors who have previously published at least one stand-alone novel. If the stand-alone novel is a success, it is a good possibility that a subsequent series by that author will also be successful.
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the publisher’s argument by the statement that most series novels are not published?
It is a claim that is used to introduce another claim which supports the argument’s main conclusion.
It is one of the argument’s conclusions, but not its main conclusion.
It is an unsupported statement which serves only to weaken the argument.
It is the argument’s only conclusion.
It identifies a condition which, if not met, is fatal to the argument’s main conclusion.
Explanation
While not vital to the argument, the claim that most series novels are not published is used to lead to the argument’s main premise, which is that publishing a stand-alone novel gives authors a better chance of later publishing a series. The statement does not weaken the argument, but rather puts it in context.